I talked to my aunt and uncle about everything thats been going on and asked them for help going back to Japan in a couple days. I feel like the exchange rate is never in my favor. Maybe it will change in the next week.

Anyways

Cristina talked to me about square breathing, and self talk which seems to be helping in the small doses that I have been using them.

Right now I am stressed about money. If I don't get the job I want then I am going to be super discouraged, let's be real. But I do have back up places I can to apply to. At this point I don't care if I am teaching again as long as I have a visa and a way to support myself. I will be going back with only a grand and I need to make that last through July so I will literally be living off of rice. Transportation can be such a bitch too.

Trevor says to kick ass. I just gotta go do that. I am not really giving myself any option to fail.

I don't think I have written in a diary since I was probably 12 years old. I grew up in South America. I saw so many things a child should never see. This caused some PTSD but I had no clue until I was an adult. I've struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. it was always manageable except for a brief time in my very early 20s. And now I'm 30 and having the most severe panic attacks I have ever had. It's hard to tell what triggered them. The migraines that all of a sudden started happening? Oh no! I must have an aneurism or a mass in my brain! … panic attack… or maybe it was when my blood work came back with high cholesterol? Oh no! I'm gonna have a heart attack any second now! I have to stop eating! I'm so hungry but I don't want to die!!… panic attack… chest is tight fingers tingling. That's it! I'm about to die!! … panic attack… and nobody understands. And I'm told it's all in my head and to just calm down…

So basically, this is all too much. I dont know what to do with myself. I feel shakey, disorientated and sick to my stomach so much of the time. I'm far away from home, in a place that is loud and intrusive. When people incade my space, I want to scream. Worst of all, im terrified of being discovered. Nobody here knows that what im dealing with is a diagnosis and im terrified of snapping and being exposed as an anxiety sufferer and being misunderstood. I have all these fears and siclly feelings that I deal with every day and I dont know what to do. Help. Im terrified that ill snap and that I'll do something incredibly stupid and ruin my life while I'm over here. I feel that I have come close. I have annoyed and overwhelmed others with my emotions. I'm really scared now that I may blow it completely.

So basically, this is all too much. I dont know what to do with myself. I feel shakey, disorientated and sick to my stomach so much of the time. I'm far away from home, in a place that is loud and intrusive. When people incade my space, I want to scream. Worst of all, im terrified of being discovered. Nobody here knows that what im dealing with is a diagnosis and im terrified of snapping and being exposed as an anxiety sufferer and being misunderstood. I have all these fears and siclly feelings that I deal with every day and I dont know what to do. Help. Im terrified that ill snap and that I'll do something incredibly stupid and ruin my life while I'm over here. I feel that I have come close. I have annoyed and overwhelmed others with my emotions. I'm really scared now that I may blow it completely.

When it comes to it, I have had trouble expressing my emotions on so many levels most of my life. Yesterday though, I was thinking some things about my past... like the axe episodes. It made me cry. For once I felt more than just a empty hole about it. I actually reacted on a human level (which is rare for me).

I have a lot of feelings bottled up probably, and I have had trouble expressing them. To me it's usualy best to pretend I don't have emotions, but truth is I got emotions. Shocker eh? Maybe not, but for me it was a breakthrough to recall something and cry about it. The fear, the anxiety, and crying. I was just like washing some cups and was like thinking about the scar above my eye (my father hit me there once and I got into child protection services). o_oI think this was before I was into the child protection services, the axe episode with my father. o_oOnce when much younger I had a axe incident with my sister as well. First about my sister, when I was like 7-8 years old or something my sister told me she would kill me when she got in again. Fearfull I locked all the doors, even my mother couldn't get in. Then I opened the door when they were far enough away, then I went up and looked myself in my and my sisters room (we shared rooms, shocker)... so my sister went up to the room, I think she had a knife or something (she was like 9-10 years or something), and she demanded I opened the door. I refused, she went away and came back with a axe. started hitting at the door. Somehow it was resolved, but not through my parents (parents neglect I suppose). I remember thinking "I must have been crazy sharing room with someone who told me they would kill me". o_oThen I was thinking about my father, he was angry about me not cleaning their plates from their dinner (we didn't actually eat food together). I used to make my own food and so did everyone else. My parents made food for themselves only so... they didn't clean after themselves and tried to force us to clean. I was the cleanest kid in the house, yet he tried to force me because I was in the house. First I barricaded the stairs and threw stuff if he tried coming up, then I locked myself in my room and blockaded it with my body. He got a axe and was hitting at the door, and I was like... it was scary. o_o

Thinking about these things I begun to cry a little, and I realized... sorta... somewhat... these things really affected me... I calmed myself down, thinking to myself "It's okay. It's fine. I don't live there anymore, I never am going to live there anymore. It's fine to cry." I decided to try to comfort myself like that, because hey... I need to let go of these things and move ahead. It's fine if I cry. I am not liviing like that anymore. I don't have to be afraid like, so... yeah, it's okay to cry. Right? I can cry on my own, and I am glad my feelings are begining to show... I feel like I have been frozen in a inhuman way just to get through, but in reality, it has affected my life so much... even thinking about it now... it's fine to cry... It's human... I am human.... Even though my friend had violence and drinking parents as a kid, it was nothing compared to how I grew up. I almost lost my life will... I burried my emotions to get by, since I didn't have any friends really or anyone to trust. I just need to learn how to live again. I am not at fault for my childhood. o_o

Accepting that... accepting to cry... accepting my humanity... it's hard to deal with.I understand why it has become so difficult to look back in my memories... there isn't much that make me happy there. It make me feel like coiling. :'(

My parents... I don't think I can ever face them again. Even though I was there this summer, I can't deal with them at all. I get panic, rage and worse anxiety if I ever meet them. I can live with meeting them a few days, but my father I can't deal with for more than some hours (or I get nosebleeds for some reason and a strange headache). o_o

I have been thinking...

when I moved on my own before I was 20, I was happy even if I didn't get a job. I was trying to awaken myself as a person again, get the stone of my chest to live again. But then, I was fooled by my sister to move back to my "parents" until we found our own place to live... can I say it didn't go well. Right after that I begun experiencing sever headaches... I could barely eat, drink, I wasn't able to keep awake. I became frozen to my room... there was nothing around I wanted to deal with. o_oI guess it is related to my anxiety... I developed migrains as a result of having to deal with them again, and the stress went to my head. Litterlay... o_o

Now I have to deal with migrains until I can find out how to live... it's not the migrains I guess, but the anxiety... If I can deal with the anxiety and move on with my life, I guess my headaches will perish as well. It's just a theory though. o_o

...I am glad my feelings are starting to show properly again though. This means I am somehow starting to deal with it and reflecting over the wrongness I have been through. It's no wonder I feel depressed some days... Amnesia of my childhood... I hope I can keep it behind until I can live properly again. :'(

When I have learned enough about happy things, maybe I can deal more with the memories... so maybe in a few years, I will be able to remember my childhood again. Anxiety leading to memory loss probably sound weird... but my mind goes blank... some things have become so hard to remember, but I don't mind... I don't mind at all as long as I can live. I just need to get past this social anxiety that has taken a hold in me.

I remember how some of my friends called me strong and a inspiration as a kid, but really... they didn't know how much I suffered. I feel like a wrek right now. It will take a while to build up who I was after living through that. My confidence, my voice... everything really. I never gave in though, but I still feel like many things has been broken in me. Among them my capasity to show emotions. Another part of it is my trust in others...

I have been alone all my life... Really, I wish there had been someone I could trust, maybe it wouldn't have been that bad then. :'(

I don't know how others will react upon this. I wonder how people I know would react if I told them this... really... what is my life? It feel so pointless. I got no support around me. I am trying so hard on my own. It's though... I am sick of being alone. sigh... sorry, but I guess sharing this here, make me feel a little better.

I have been thinking... maybe I can celebrate christmass with my aunt... I don't wanna go to my parents at all.. I feel like I will choke and die if I go there again. My whole body feels turned inside out by the thought... or maybe celebrating christmas on my own would be fine. I just don't wanna go through that anxiety and stress again from my father... I can't deal with him at all.. :'(

Last night I beagan having that feeling i had expierenced since the start of last years summer. I went to bed with my wife and started feeling out of reality, losing my focus, feeling faint, and letting fear into my heart. My fear of dying and not being there for my child seems to always be haunting me. I began to Pray and read Psalms chapter 1-10. I'm not sure if King David ever felt like me but just like he did I put my Hope in My God. I don't take any anti-anxiety pills or have a therapist, I wonder sometimes why this happens to me or if I deserve it. God is there but he gave me common sense. I was lying in bed and tried going to sleep, as soon as i closed my eyes I could only hear my heart beating. I started to count the beats and soon it started beating faster. I started freaking out and almost had a full on attack but I stopped myself and said,"NO". I kept thinking about Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surelyI will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteousrighthand.' I believe these words with all my heart. I always remember what he has done in my life. When my mom went into cardiac arrest and fell into a coma, the doctors said she wasn't going to make it. That was the day I gave my life to Jesus. I remember I put my trust in him and knew everything was going to be fine. To the doctors surprise she recovered and got better and now she is practically her old self. You wouldn't think she's been through that if you saw her. Now I always tell myself, "if God can bring your mom back from the dead, do you think he can't heal your problems? Do you think he can restore the chemicals in your brain to a perfect balance?" I know he can do it, In the end this whole expierence has brought me closer to him than I ever thought I would. I can't say the same for everyone out there, There are those who believe in God and those who rely on Science. I choose to believe in God and use my common Sense to excersise, eat healthy, and live a righteous life. I know My healing will come soon and I pray that everyone who suffers with the same expierence be healed as well. There is hope and I know I've expierenced thoughts of suicide. I ignore it because life still has a meaning and a purpose. I know my prayers will be answered and I will not be put to shame. Thank you Lord for the storm. I will stay Strong and continue on.

Last night I had a panic attack. I had spent the day barbecuing, drinking, and swimming with friends and at the end of the night, my boyfriend came over to spend the night.

We watched TV before we went to sleep. Even though I was the one who said I was tired, John was asleep in minutes. He began deep breathing/snoring which is common for him but before I knew it, I was in the beginnings of a panic attack.

After a minute or two of trying to prevent it, a full fledged panic attack overtook me.

I had to kick John out of my room, take a Xanax, and try not to throw up. Kicking John out of my bedroom was only because I tend to associate things with my panic attacks. If I get a panic attack while I'm doing something, I'll never do that something again, and obviously I don't want sleeping next to my boyfriend being something I try to avoid.

I had had a panic attack for the first time in weeks, maybe even months, three days earlier while on vacation. I ended up having to take two of my Xanax and throwing up. The next night I took a pill just in case-- before panic or anxiety could even begin. The night after that I was completley fine and slept in my apartment alone without any anxiety.

I don't understand why this happens to me. I had always been fearful of sleep situations as a child... I hated being by myself or being completely in the dark. I could never fall asleep before anyone at a sleepover for the fear they would wake me up. I have a fear of snoring or other sleep disturbances and these panic attack seriously take over my life.

I feel like no one understands what I'm going through and like it will never end.

"Too many of us are not living our dreams, because we are too busy living our fears." Les Brown

Recently, I started blogging about my social anxiety disorder. I also started posting some original songs online.

My original thought - YIKES!

As someone who has suffered from severe social anxiety disorder since the age of 10, the idea of blogging about it seemed like an interesting dillemma. Yes - I would love to get my story out there, if only because I myself would have gained a lot from reading it when I was younger. But No - I can't put myself out there, everyone will judge me, and who am I to think that anyone will care, people will just think I'm full of it and be annoyed.

At the end of the day, probably very few people will even know that it's out there. Yes, a lot of my friends have been suddenly enlightened to the fact that this disorder even exists, but on the upside, they now understand why I usually have an excuse not to go to their parties, and maybe, just maybe one or two of them have recognised the same traits in themselves and may look at others in a new light.

I am a singer, and I love to sing and write music, but until this past month, I have NEVER let anyone hear what I write, let alone put it online for all to access. I guess though, that I've come to a point where I've managed to conquer the worst of the social part of my anxiety (through years of intensive CBT sessions), and am now using blogging as a tool to keep myself moving forward, to chase my dreams and to actually do things that make me happy, and (try) not to care what anyone else thinks. After all, we all have hobbies and weird things that make us happy, so why should I have to keep mine hidden when everyone else is out there doing what they do?

I'm certainly not saying that I intend to be famous - I actually dread that - I think I dread success from my music (and now the little voice in my head is saying - "you narcissistic arrogant girl to even be contemplating such an outcome).

So my blogs on this fabulous site, will be about how I'm coping on my journey to finally achieve my dreams in spite of anxiety and panic.

Would love to have feedback on wether anyone else out there is getting anything postive from what I write, but at the same time, that's not the reason I'm doing this.

Wide awake. Without sleep for over 24 hours, yet for some reason both my body and mind are restless. I’ve been thinking.Reconsidering everything I’ve ever though or decided. In a state of unease, almost terrified at my predictions of what the day will bring me.Sometimes this happens— no, correction: This often happens. My thoughts become a never-ending labyrinth. Usually, this comes when I have woken in terror, and I am left in a haze of emotions and possibilities. Emotions that I have not yet learned to control. Possibilities in my life that I haven’t the strength to reach out and snatch. Everything I could potentially wonder, I do. I sit there and wonder, frustrated with my usual lack of answers. Do I even need answers? Are there really puzzles I need to solve, or is this confusion an illusion? All I can ever come up with is a big, “MAYBE.”It can be a battle. Never can I stick with simple contentedness, and especially with life cascading toward me as if I am facing a blizzard head-on. There is a smile reserved to put forth the facade that everything is fine, but when has it ever been? With all honesty, I’m always in misery for one reason or another. How do I make it stop?I cannot find the solution. Occasionally I fear I will search to fix myself my whole life; that the journey will be unbearable and impossible like reaching the end of a rainbow. The rest of the time, I worry my emotions will never be in check.One would claim me depressed. Socially anxious. An introvert. Impulsive. In my mind, I figure as long as I make myself function, how can that be said? Some days I choose to stay in a mental fog by myself, left to my thoughts despite the misery that comes with them. Often I’ll just wait until I’m allowed those hours of lonesomeness, and really sit there and think.My biggest fear is that I will be alone in life because of my issues. Friends have come and gone, proving only to me how quiet I should keep my problems. Because who really cares besides myself how fucked up it is to be in my head? Nobody. Doctors feign sincerity with a prescription to make me manageable. People will promise their confidence to abandon it for something interesting to talk about. It’s been hard for me to truly open up to another because I don’t know who and who not to trust. I constantly wish I had a trust detector that would allow me to pass someone and it would tell me how trustworthy they are. I want to be freed from this cage of distrust and fear. I’m nearly sick to the thought of possibility. Going insane in attempt to mask my sadness day by say. Wide awake, and no hope of sleep until tomorrow.

Well this to be honest, I was hesitant on doing. Guess I fear even the thoughts of others as well as my own. I have been struggling with GAD and MD the last three months and have been this past month working with doctor and therapist to work through it. Therapist recommended I stay home from work for two weeks but yeah can't afford to do that so only took a week off. Primary doctor put me on effexor and attivan which I had a bad reaction to the effexor xr. I am now back on the effexor tablets and now on xannax which knock me out. Seems as though my anxiety hits the worst when I dont sleep but yet I am not sleeping because of the anxiety. The depression I have learned to get past but the anxiety is kicking me in the rear. Its my first day back to work today in about a week and I have had no sleep. Heart is racing, jaw tightening and hands are shaking. One of my triggers happens to be my boss whom hounds me to answers as to why I am not myself the last three months. He is new and has no management experience but really.... is it really needed to hound me. In my head im screaming do your homework fool and google what my condition is and yet I put on a fake smile, stay professional and just say I dont know but I am seeking help. My mind is running a million miles and hour.... where did my off switch go. I want to cry and I am to old to feel like this. Its like that first day at school you dreaded as a child and cried when your mom left you feeling. This is so out of character for me and I guess the anxiety is only getting worse because I have no Idea why it hit me out of the blue. I am scared this anxiety will never go away. I feel helpless, defeated and just lost in my own mind.